Two Bilkent students, Devrim Dirik (IE/IV) and İsmail Özdemir (IE/99) have won out over many professional submissions to take first place in an article competition organized by KALDER (Kalite Derneği) for the Toplam Kalite Yönetimi ve Kamu Sektürü Kongresi (Total Quality Management and Public Sector Congress). The awards were presented at the Lütfi Kırdar Congress and Exhibition Center on 21-22 November 2000. 
The prize was for a ten page article on total quality management techniques that included both research and proposed solutions to public sector problems. Over 2500 people attended the congress, including politicians, ambassadors and academicians. İsmail and Devrim were the youngest competitors, the majority of whom were 35 and over. There were no 2nd and 3rd winners and only two honorable mention awards.
Total quality management in the public sector is a developing and relatively unknown field, and İsmail and Devrim entered the competition because they wished to make a contribution in this area. They believe that quality management techniques can be used successfully in Turkey and they are planning to make this area the focus of their future studies.
Miray Akdağ (COMD/I)
